One of the side effects of the San Francisco 49ers' disastrous 2024 season is that the coaching staff is increasingly under the spotlight.
While head coach Kyle Shanahan earned his share of attention, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen came under fire after the 49ers' defense gave up a combined 73 points in losses to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills in Weeks 12 and 13.
Despite two abysmal defensive performances, Shanahan supported his defensive coordinator in a conference call Monday.
“Yeah, I’m very happy with Nick,” Shanahan said. “I am not at all satisfied with the results and the current status. But I don't think some of the mistakes we've made or what's happened here in the last two weeks is a schematic problem. It's more of a fundamental problem. And that starts with me too. That goes for all the coaches, and it goes for the players, it goes for everyone in this building. But the results here over the last two weeks haven’t changed my opinion of Nick.”
The 49ers parted ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after last season, so it makes sense that Shanahan wouldn't want to make any further changes this coming offseason.
It's also worth noting that Sorensen is a first-time defensive coordinator and that Robert Saleh had some difficult seasons before becoming a star DC and head coach candidate in 2019.
One thing is clear: If Sorensen actually stays, the 49ers will have to change something defensively. If it is not the defensive player, either a schematic change needs to be made or a personnel overhaul needs to be made.
Even before the two-week defeat, there was a clear problem with San Francisco's once-dominant defense this season. How they implement these changes will ultimately determine Sorensen's future and perhaps the future of the Shanahan era.